Apple Acquires Streaming Music Service Lala Media

[fabianjj]

is this why they wanted that large server farm thing out in texas or were ever it was. I see no issues at all with this just adds more music to the libary. Shame i live in the uk. yes we have lastfm but pandora and this lala service seem to offer more options. Of course we have to wait for the legal issues to be resolved so the rest of the world can use this service

you can always use Spotify (I'm too lazy to hyperlink, but check it out), which alsoa has an iPhone app

 

[joeshell383]

is this why they wanted that large server farm thing out in texas or were ever it was

The data center site is in North Carolina.

 

[m828s]

Personal data storage in the cloud is different from music storage in the cloud. I would certainly be concerned about keeping my college thesis in the cloud, but I am confident that lala can keep track of the database of music, and replace any lost songs from back-ups or copies that the music companies own.

I wish that was the only problem. Cyber attacks are remote but within the realm of possibility. Even if backups are kept offline, there is always a chance the attack could come from within.

More pressing, however, is the possibility that data could be made unavailable or purged in the event the company providing cloud storage went out of business, was bought out, etc.

 

[m828s]

Isn't that mostly due to the current business models, we are still in start up stage on the tech and it's really a race to stake claims. We are already seeing projects that move the other way. Their business model is to rationalize the infrastructure so they can service their users for any need.

How long will it be till we see your local device and storage be treated as part of the cloud not just a bucket that collects the rain that falls?

Soon enough someone will build a small lightweight cloud server that you'll be happy to have sandboxed on your devices. Then the business model moves to one that offer syncing services between all the clouds you have rights over. Shared or otherwise they can start to offer interesting things across small connection that are trickle feed updates 24/7 to and from your local cloud with more important updates getting priority. You won't need to worry about if or how your connected as 90% of the internet/cloud that matters to you will be with you anyway.

Your information will always be in one form in your hands, and maybe at your house, but also redundantly at your mums houses or the houses of anyone you have shared with. Well yes in the hands of the orginating service.

To me it's the snycing/backup posiblilities of Lala's technologies that Apple wants to get their hands on, more than the service itself.

Still the service would be good too but i can't see them getting rightholders to agree in this neck of the woods for many many years to come.

Well, if it's my own equipment that I singly manage, then I'm all for my bucket collecting some rain -- unless there's a chance of a Kindle/Orwell event -- when an entity swoops into my bucket and then back out, taking a portion of my data with it.

And I'd rather consider the here and now instead of hypotheticals that are at least 5 or 10 years away.

While I understand their infrastructure would be created and maintained in their best interest -- which would be to keep my data stored as safely as possible -- nothing is completely safe that isn't in my complete control -- unless I were to choose to pay to have my investments insured, or the government stepped in (haha) to insure data storage like they do monetary storage in FDIC-approved banking institutions.

In terms of shared devices that talk to one another, who knows how vulnerable they'll be to cyber attack? Could that cyber attack threaten my data? It's because of concerns like this that I will always have my data backed up locally, completely off the grid. That's the only way to ensure my property is kept safe. Safe deposit boxes and fire-proof safes were invented for a reason. It's no different with digital data.

I do like the idea of syncing very much, however. I like the idea of data storage in the cloud. But ultimately the buck stops with me. Companies that manage my data ultimately serve one purpose -- to make money. My data will never be more than, at most, their secondary consideration.

 

[pooryou]

I hope Apple does something about Lala's absolutely terrible web site.